


Birthday

by unusualJournalist



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Date Night, Drabbles, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:38:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unusualJournalist/pseuds/unusualJournalist
Summary: "Oh, oh, you want to hear a really funny one?"Brian discusses his work life over dinner with Taako.





	Birthday

"Oh, oh!" He laughed, sloshing the rosé around in his glass before taking another sip.  
"Here is another funny one...." the drow shook a stray curl out of his face, tried to summon what little seriousness was left in him.  
"Get this-- five years I've been here, and nobody's remembered my birthday. Not. A single. One."  
He cackled, washed it down with another good swallow.  
"Can you be- _lieve_ that?! I mean, I thought my family was bad, but with co-workers like these, who needs... ah?"  
He paused at his companion's stricken face, cute lip-glossed pout now slack-jawed.  
"Brian, my dude," Taako said, quietly, leaning in a little.  
"That's not funny, that's... that's really sad. Brad posts everyone's birthdays up on the bulletin board, right...?"  
Taako wasn't exactly one to check in on the bulletin board, but even he had noticed that little tidbit, everyone's names written with care.  
Nobody had mentioned, either, that Brian had taken charge of writing out notes to everyone individually on their special day, a little hobby he had to practice his Common script.  
"That's actually kinda fucked up, my man."  
The drow's face fell, his ears taking on a subtle droop, fingers twitching on the stem of his wine glass.  
The thought hadn't seemed to occur to him, that things like this were supposed to go two ways; he'd come to accept, genuinely, that this was how it was; you write notes, but long-lived races like elves didn't REALLY count them, and races like humans just didn't care all that much.  
Really, it was such a hassle, you'd ultimately be celebrating so many that their children and great-great-great-great-great grandchildren would STILL be getting you gifts, and for what?  
"Well... what, do people send you things for your birthday?"  
"Uh, doy!"  
Taako snapped, indignant for his date's sake.  
"I'm _Taako_? From _TV_?! Of fuckin course I get--" not helping. He stopped there, slammed down the ~~key lime gog--~~ rosé in his own glass.  
"Listen.... do. Do people in the Underdark not do birthdays?"  
Taako internally crossed his fingers, hoping beyond hope--  
"No, we do."  
\-- ***dammit.  
He resisted the urge to slam his head against the table.

He swallowed a bitter taste in his mouth, teeth gritting.  
"Not.... Nobody, I guess, the Director always sent me... a little... Little note, usually with little drawings of birthday cake, or some such.... I guess I just assumed it was. Ettiquette."  
None of his story was adding up, and all of the little holes he'd pushed aside over the years were coming together to create an awful conclusion.  
"Holy shit." Brian whispered, staring down at his hands,  
"That is pretty awful."


End file.
